What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #286

Mornming Deskers (just!). Late on parade today as I had a bad nights sleep and got up very late. . Here’s my desk this morning – yep, Christmas has arrived big time. In fact, you’d better not stand still too long or you’ll get glittered.
 
There are about 5 different projects going on here, talk about multi tasking. Don’t you just love those origami xmas trees? Shout if you want instructions. The large one is what you get when you use a sheet of 12 x 12. When you make the trees you get little corners of waste paper - whilst I was roaming the halls last night I decided to punch paper flowers from it. Made me feel better about throwing the rest away – why am I so obsessed with waste? Of course I could have spent that hour doing something useful, like the ironing. Ha!
Mind you found a very useful bit of saved waste that makes a perfect trunk for that big tree…….
Also a choir of angels ready to be packed up.

Have had a lot of orders for these, still quite a few more to make.
So why am I telling you this? If you don’t know go on over here to read all about it and link up. If you do, well I’m going to have a bit of a tidy then I’ll be doing the rounds. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Addendum:

Link for Paper Christmas Trees is http://www.pinterest.com/pin/549228117030795416/
Try a few, if you can't get the hang of it try a bigger sheet of paper!! Tip, the angle of your cuts andthe fold will change the final look of your tree - experiment! I used bamboo sticks and cotton reels to finish mine off.

Box Cards - I saw this design originally at Calla Lily Studios. You can buy pre-scored boxes from Craftwork Cards but I use a sheet of A4 300 gsm card cut lengthwise to 6.5" wide, then scored along the length at 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 inches plus a 1/2 "  'flap' to make the box. You then score at 3.5 across 3 of the four panels to give you a lower box of 3.5" in height and flaps of 2.5". I use these measurements so I know exactly how big to cut my decorative papers and they fold nicely to fit a 5 x 7 envelope. See also post below - you can use the bits you cut off to make the belly band if required and supporting straps. I used a bauble die upside down (twice) to make the angels dress, a butterfly die for the wings and circle dies for the halo and head. Hope that helps, link to Craftwork Cards tutorial here. 

November Winner

Not many entries this month. But the name out the hat is JAYCEE.

Can you let me have your addy hun so I can get this in the post.

December giveaway nearly finished and will be along next week.

Here's a sneek peek.

Have a good week every one.

Cute Christmas for Fantasy Stampers

Time for a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers and this fortnight time our theme is ‘cute Christmas’. I’m sure you are all in the throes of Christmas panic  preparation so I’m hoping this will be a popular choice for everyone.

 

My offering this week is a sweet image from Lily of the Valley – you can’t get much cuter than those school nativity plays can you?

Now it’s over to you. Pop on over to the blog to see the rest of the DT inspiration and add a link to your project – don’t forget this is a stamping challenge so we need to see a real stamped image.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas………. xx

CardMaking 101 - #4 and 5

It’s Tuesday and my bestie and I had another cardmaking session tonight. I don’t know if I mentioned it, but she was receiving cancer treatment this summer which put a bit of a crimp in our activities but she’s raring to go now. Here’s what we got up to last week – we do rather like that corner turned over idea but maybe need to find a new one as I think we may have exhausted it!!

 

I needed three more simple designs for tonight – of course I hadn’t prepared but this is what we made.

Taking another break because she’s off to the bahamas … not jealous at all…. Oh well, at least it’ll give me a chance to get ahead of the game, I’ve been winging it the last two weeks!!

Box Card for Christmas

Earlier in the year I came across some wonderful Christmas themed pop up box cards on the Calla Lily Studio blog. Please explore further than the link, Chris has some truly stunning examples that she did last year shown over several posts. I’d love to try the nutcracker and the nativity scene but they look a bit complicated!!

I had to go at some of the simpler ones and here is my ‘angel’ version using papers from Craftwork Cards and various dies I have (the body is actually a bauble die upside down).

I really like box cards, which I initially saw demonstrated by Julie Hickey of Craftwork Cards but my OCD like nature means that they have to look OK from every angle, open and shut. The flowery ones take me ages to sort out LOL. The three in a line style of these angels gives an acceptable appearance when closed.

But I wasn’t satisfied with that, so have decorated the underside of the flaps and created a belly band (which could be customised) to put on the card when it goes in the envelope. It also means any embellishments don’t get ‘caught’ in the envelope.

 

 

The recipient will probably be incredibly puzzled but I’m happy!! Now I’m trying to think of a way to put folds into the band so that it can be put on the open box. Might look a bit messy though… …. watch this space!!

I really can’t explain how stressed it makes me when things don’t look ‘right’. I remember cutting up a whole bunch of tunnel cards because I couldn’t figure out a way to make them look good when folded for posting. Is anyone else out there as weird as me?

Sunday already??

Goodness, where did the last few days go? Been so busy, supposed to be decorating today but have wimped out leaving hubby to get on with it (may have been the master plan all along hee hee…..).

Anyway just a quick post of a card and ATC made for a poppy themed swap. Hope you are all having a great week end.

What Was on Your Workdesk? WOYWW Pt. II

Just to put those of you who couldn’t see that they were going to be adorable little penguins out of their misery here’s a quick piccie – now to add them to the cards.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…….

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #284

No I haven’t gone all zen, This is the space where my bestie sits when she comes over for cardmaking 101 like she did last night. I do  tidy it up before she comes and so when she goes it’s empty.

Before I went to bed last night I sat and started a little paper piecing for some box cards I want to finish today.

Well I hope everyone is set up for a nice Wednesday. It’s mum’s 82nd birthday and I am going to go over and see her later. There might be a trip to a craft shop involved ……we’ve already had a tea and cake afternoon (yum) and have Sunday lunch planned for all at the weekend.

Can you guess what these are going to be?

Anyhow, if you’re new to the weekly show n tell known as WOYWW, you can find out all the info here and check out our hostess Julia Dunnitt (!). Have a great Wednesday!!

Try It On Tuesday – Hand made/Home Made

 

Another fortnight, another challenge and at Try It On Tuesdays we’d like to see something handmade or home made, perhaps a gift, home decor, wall art or other item that you have made yourself.

 

I decided to make a tag advent calender – I didn’t quite appreciate how much work this would turn out to be!!

Still it was mainly die cutting the baubles as I couldn’t embellish the 12 double sided tags very much as they had to fit in the box – they do – JUST!! It’s hard to see but there is a little slot in front of the box so that you can change the tag day by day. I have to fess up the template is by Craftwork Cards so no great design work on my part.

 

Had great fun using up my crimbo papers (I do seem to have quite a collection) but was glad to get it finished! Now we’d like to see your projects so to add your link and catch up with he rest of the DT join us at the TiOT blog.

November Giveaway – Christmas Bauble

Well, an MDF one anyway. Think I got the blank from the wonderful MDF man when I went to Ally Pally.

Had a struggle getting a good picture, there is almost too much sunshine this morning.  Still here we go.

Well I’m sure you know the drill by now. Leave a comment on this post and I will put you in the draw. Overseas players welcome, please feel free to link from your own blog to get an additional entry (but please do tell me you’ve done so!!). Closing date 9.00,pm on Monday 24th November so I can get it in the post. Please do make sure I can get in touch with you if you win. Right, back to the Christmas cards….

Fantasy Stampers Challenge - Red Alert

The stamp I used was free with a magazine – back in the eons of time!!It is from The Great British Card Company,  designed by Andrea Jayne Evans.

This is my latest design piece for the Fantasy Stampers design team and the theme this fortnight is to include something red on your project – along with your stamped images of course!! We’d love to see your ‘Red’ projects so pop along to the blog to link up or to check out the inspiration from the rest of the DT.

What’s On Your Workdesk? WOYWW#283

Morning Deskers!!

This week I asked my son to paint the spare bedroom (job creation scheme for the non-gainfully employed) which was previously my craft room. However, when clearing the decks for him it became very clear that I hadn’t actually moved quite all my stuff with when I re-located. And there was an awful lot of art on the walls as well. So before I do anything today I have to find a home for this lot. I’ve been putting off adding too much to the walls till I was sure my DD wasn’t coming back (never say never), but I think it’s time. Much as I love and miss her neither of us wants that to happen, it’s so much nicer to get regular visits when she actually talks to me rather than enduring a ghost like presence that I am constantly cleaning up after. 

Apart from that it’s been Christmas, Christmas all the way this last week as I have a couple of small xmas fairs I’m doing.

I am so glad I got ahead with those cards  in January, at least that is not hanging over my head.

Anyhow, if you’re a newbie to WOYWW, the what and how is here.

Have a good Wednesday everyone.

OCTOBER GIVEAWAY WINNER IS......

Lisa!! I have your addy hun so it will be wending it's way to you on Monday morning.

Thanks to all who played, pop back next week for the November giveaway and some giveaway news.

I think it will be something Christmassy!